As soon as Sinead O’Connor started singing “The Foggy Dew” at LA’s MGM Grand Garden Arena, the crowd turned into a sea of green, orange and white as the Irish fans cheered and chanted passionately for Conor McGregor as he headed to the Octagon for the main event – his fight against Chad Mendes for the world championship.
Less than 10 minutes into the fight, McGregor – an Irish fighter – was crowned UFC Champion as he stopped Chad Mendes late in the second round with a TKO. Only a few weeks ago, McGregor was set to fight in what was expected to be one of the biggest UFC fights against Jose Aldo. However, the champion suffered a rib injury and Mendes took advantage of the opportunity to give a two week’s notice to fight for an interim title against McGregor.
When news about Conor McGregor stops Chad Mendes, becomes new UFC interim champion hit the airwaves, people where shocked for a number of reasons. For one, Mendes was one of the top NCAA All-American wrestlers with a fighting style that was expected to test McGregor.
In the opening round, Mendes wasted no time to showcase his superior grappling powers as he planted McGregor on the mat. The American UFC fighter wasted no time as he continued to use his superb wrestling techniques. In fact, he managed to open a cut over the Irish fighter’s right eye before the horn sounded.
However, McGregor managed to instill some heavy body shots that left Mendes somewhat winded. In the second round, Mendes started off strong and managed to pin McGregor to the ground for over four minutes. After getting up, the balance shifted in favor of McGregor. A heavy left punch tore through Mendes’ chin and sent him crushing to the mat. McGregor followed up with a barrage of blows that left Mendes seeking cover on the ground until the referee intervened. That’s how the UFC interim champion was made.
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